Howling Trees
by mrsaturtle
Summary: Hermione needs to get away but who she finds in her exile might be the one person who can heal her wounds, both physical and mental. After years of grief Neville finds his life has stagnated, can his first friend breathe new life back into him. And when the two friends find comfort in their arms, will they find happiness together?


**Oh dear readers, here we go again. Another story, another muse that will hopefully give this whole story to me before she shuts up. The story will not be long. **

**It is a Neville & Hermione story that features mentions of death, bad break-ups, and lots of smutty goodness. You've been warned. **

**Fancasts:  
Hermione Granger = Emma Watson  
Neville Longbottom = Matt Lewis  
Harry Potter = Daniel Radcliffe  
Pansy Parkinson = Scarlet Byrne  
Millicent Bulstrode = Emily Browning  
**

**If you're finding me for the first time because of this story, please take a look at the other stories I have published. If you want updates to stories and background info for some of the elements in a story please visit my facebook group Mrsaturtlesreaders. **

**Reviews = love**

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Hermione walked briskly through the Ministry, ignoring the looks as she passed workers moving about on their lunch break. She clutched her purple beaded bag tight in her hand, and pulled her wool coat tighter around herself, wishing she could hide from everyone's curious glances.

She had needed this chance to get away for months, but she had tried to maintain her normal life even as she was berated by reporters at every turn. It had become such an issue that she had asked Luna to do her shopping for her, unable to stand the barrage of questions and accusations that were hurled in her direction.

After six years of dating Ron Weasley, who had once been her best friend, their relationship had exploded in a spectacular display in the middle of Diagon Alley. Hermione and Ron had been walking through the market place, doing the weeks shopping when his mistress had found them. She had pulled a wand on Hermione, a foolish move that resulted in Aurors showing up to stop the duel that had begun. Though they had proved useless especially when Ron had thrown up a protego, it hadn't been to protect Hermione, his long-time girlfriend, but Lavender Brown his once girlfriend and current mistress. The Aurors had to Apparate Ron and Lavender away to get them away from the relentless flock of birds that attacked them without mercy.

Hermione had been interviewed and if Ron hadn't, in a moment of guilt, asked for charges to be dropped, would have certainly faced charges. He had moved the next day, presumably into Lavender's flat, but Hermione didn't want the small cottage they had shared any longer. So with a quick sale, she split the money with Ron and washed her hands of it. She had stayed at Grimmauld place with Harry since their split and would continue until she could find a place of her own.

Pansy Parkinson, magical relator, and her best friend's fiance was helping her on that, but Hermione needed to get away, a chance to just be free of the constant staring and the relentless gossip that plagued her life. So she was on her way to Scotland, to an undisclosed location, but first, she needed to leave a breadcrumb for the reporters to follow.

With Pansy's help again, Hermione had been in touch with Millicent Bulstrode who now owned a small inn in the vineyards of Italy. They hoped that if Millicent pretended to have Hermione there, but refused entry to anyone to find out, the press would share the location and it might just help business for Milli.

Hermione finally caught sight of the Internation Portkey Office and sped up a little. She was ready to get away, and Scotland was calling, though only Harry, Pansy, Milli, and Luna actually knew that's where she was heading.

An older witch with dark grey ringlets sat at the counter and greeted Hermione warmly, "Good Afternoon, Miss Granger how can I help you?"

"I need to go to Oulu, Finland to the Green Dragon Inn, as soon as possible," Hermione said, her voice clipped.

"Of course, that will be one galleon, do you need to purchase a return galleon?" The woman asked, her voice almost sing-song as she eyed Hermione.

"No, I am not sure when I will return."

"Oh I understand Miss Granger, you know before I met my Richard I had a boyfriend who did the same thing, well we didn't have such a public break-up of course, but he was a slag," the woman continued, observing Hermione as she filled out the log sheet.

Hermione said nothing and waited, she didn't care who she annoyed or who thought her rude anymore, she would bet money this witch would be quickly contacting the Prophet to sell the story of Hermione's departure.

The woman stood up to grab an object off the shelves behind her, and settled on a broken coffee mug, she tapped her wand and set it before Hermione. "Alright Miss Granger, one portkey to Oulu, Finland you should arrive just outside of the Inn. Have a safe trip miss."

Hermione nodded and clutched the mug in her hand, her other holding tightly to the purple bag at her side. The Ministry witch tapped the cup with her wand and Hermione felt an enormous pressure around her waist and then the pull of a Portkey. She held her breath and by the time she felt the pressure to breathe she landed.

She landed with a clatter on the stone steps of the Green Dragon Inn in Finland. Hermione walked up the stairs and pushed the door open. Blissfully the lobby was completely empty, except for the witch she was looking for.

"Hermione, good you arrived safely. I have you staying in room 638, and the item you requested is on top of the bed," Millicent said her voice barely containing the part she was playing. Hermione had happily rented the room for two weeks from Milli, as long as she kept the reporters off her tail.

"Thank you so much, Millicent," Hermione said smiling as she took off for the lifts across the open room.

"You're most welcome, I owed Pansy a favor for helping me find this place. Just tap the door with your wand, and it'll lock onto your signature," Millicent explained offering Hermione a warm smile.

Hermione went up the sixth floor and unlocked the door to 638 which just happened to be at the end of a long hallway in the renovated old inn. Opening the door, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she walked towards the bed. Laying in the very center of the bed was a set of keys that would open the door to a cabin in the middle of Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Checking the clock on the wall, she only had to wait two minutes before she was once again pulled through an international portkey, this time taking her to the shoreline of a narrow loch. She turned in a circle, and she caught sight of the small cabin she would call home for the immediate future. This property was being leased by an anonymous wizard, and he was willing to sell it to the right person, as Pansy had told it.

Hermione was halfway to the cabin when she heard the crunch of twigs, and turned wand out. The last thing she needed right now was to be caught unaware by someone, magical or muggle.

She turned and gasped, the person in front of her hadn't been seen in almost five years, but before she could say anything he spoke.

"Hermione, is that really you?"

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_To be continued. . ._


End file.
